In most of her high school competitions, Arlisha Doctor never made it past second place.
So when Doctor captured the Miss Unity crown Saturday, she was overwhelmed.
"I finally got first place in something," she said as friends ran across the stage to embrace her.
Doctor and five other contestants competed at Pruis Hall in the 2004 Miss Unity pageant, "Silhouettes of Beauty: A Glimpse of Elegance," the last event of Unity Week.
Before the Miss Unity competition, the closest Doctor came to winning a crown was finishing first runner-up after she ran for homecoming queen her senior year.
So when the Ball State sophomore learned about the Miss Unity pageant, she decided she would give it a try.
If nothing else, the social experience would be worth it, Doctor said.
"I saw the girls last year, and I saw how they bonded with each other," she said. "I wanted to be part of that too."
Doctor found that same bond helped her in her performance, she said.
The more she practiced her inspirational dance for the talent competition, the more excited she became.
"I fed off the girls' energy," she said. "And I like to dance. When I dance, I feel confident."
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The 2004 Miss Unity pageant, opened with its contestants dancing to "Hip Hop in Motion," choreographed by Cami Thomas. Students DaJuan Hume and Genesis Inman served as the pageant's Master and Misses of Ceremony.
The Miss Unity contestants were selected in 2003 based on their academic achievement, community involvement and participation in campus and multicultural events. Contestants also participated in private interviews in October 2003 on which their final pageant scores were based.
The contestants were judged Saturday in several phases of competition including talent, impromptu speaking and formal wear, in which each contestant wore her evening gown as she participated in creative skits and dances with her student escort.
The contestants also performed a group dance and a ballroom dance.
Miss Unity chairperson Kisha Keeney said she was proud of the wide range of talents the girls displayed on stage throughout the pageant.
It was refreshing to watch the performances as they ranged from singing and dancing to piano-playing and poetry reading, she said.
"I think it was a nice variety," Keeney said. "Overall, (the girls) are all so talented."
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During Doctor's part of the talent competition, she performed a spiritual dance to Kirk Franklin's "Don't Cry." For the formal wear competition, she and her escort, junior English major Emanuel Exum, performed a skit that served as a tribute to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and to the soldiers who died in combat overseas.
Doctor, from Washington, D.C., said she was glad her skit was able to convey an important message to the audience.
"I wanted to do the skit because the terrorist attacks really hit close to home," Doctor said.
Doctor said though she was confident going into the pageant, her confidence dwindled as several obstacles arose while she was on stage. During her formal wear performance, her musical selection failed to play on cue, and Doctor began to worry.
"I began to get really nervous, and I felt a little down about it at first," she said.
Amid the struggles she underwent, however, Doctor knew she had to stay strong, she said. And God came through for her, she said.
Doctor's music was finally restored, allowing her to finish her dance routine as she received a loud round of applause from the audience.
"I'd been praying and praying about (this whole pageant), and God blessed me," Doctor said. "What I asked for, that's what I got."
In addition to receiving a $1,000 scholarship, Doctor also won an award for selling the most ads for the Miss Unity pageant.
Winning the Miss Unity crown gives Doctor the opportunity to serve as spokesperson for the Miss Unity program and to represent Ball State's Black Student Association and Multicultural Center both on campus and in the Muncie community. Doctor will also participate in the Homecoming parade.
As she continues in her telecommunications major, she will select a community service project to participate in throughout the year. The purpose is to continue promoting diversity in the Ball State and Muncie communities, Keeney said.
Doctor said she would like to participate in a community program in which students of different ethnicities can visit each other's houses to learn about cultures outside of their own.
"If a school wants to promote diversity, I think this would be important," Doctor said. "(Everyone) should know about other people's cultures," she said.
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The Miss Unity program, established in 1968 by the BSA, became a tradition during Ball State's Unity week, Keeney said.
Originally titled Miss Black Ball State, the pageant was later renamed to promote diversity. The BSA plans to continue promoting multiculturalism in future pageants.
"The purpose is to create a social and cultural experience for all students and to bring about black awareness (to students)," BSA president Morenike Aderiye said.
The BSA will begin to prepare this summer for the 2005 Miss Unity pageant.
Keeney said she is proud of the contestants who participated this year and is confident they have grown significantly throughout the past few months.
"(The pageant has) helped them to come out of their shells in some way, shape or form," Keeney said. "They all got a lot of confidence and friendships out of this."
Keeney said she also appreciates the contestants' dedication throughout the past semester and is glad the girls have finally seen the fruits of their labor.
By attending multiple practices every week throughout the past few months, the contestants demonstrated an admirable perseverance, she said.
"I'm so proud of them," Keeney said.
Doctor said she is especially pleased with the bond she was able to make with her fellow contestants since the fall 2003 semester.
She has made connections she will never forget, she said.
"I really appreciate the friendships I have with the girls," Doctor said. "Throughout the pageant, we all set aside our attitudes and differences, and we did what we had to do."
Doctor said the Miss Unity pageant has not only helped her to appreciate the importance of multiculturalism, but it has enhanced her outlook on life itself.
After winning her first crown, she is looking forward to what the future holds for her, she said.
"I'm kind of the quiet type, and now I guess the pageant will publicize who I am." Doctor said. "Hopefully I will always be remembered for Miss Unity 2004. In fact, I think I might participate in more pageants now; this is my motivation."
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